YouTube & NBC Team for Cross Platform Video Promotions

NBC and YouTube have made a joint announcement today which shows that working together in harmony is more efficient than working against each other in a world of conflict. YouTube and NBC looked past their differences which spurned a cease & desist over NBC content on YouTube months ago to form a strategic alliance which will combine NBC programming with YouTube’s active online audience.

Under their new agreement, NBC & YouTube will form an NBC Channel within YouTube which will feature NBC’s Fall Preview shows with exclusive clips from The Office. In addition, promos, clips and skits from Saturday Night Live, Jay Leno, and The Office will be made available throughout YouTube, which already serves more than 70 million video views every day with 60,000 new videos uploaded daily.. More NBC programming will also be added to the YouTube rotation, in this advertising / product placement deal between the two companies.

“The YouTube and NBC partnership symbolizes what can happen when traditional media companies and new media companies find common ground,” said John Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Universal Television Group. “YouTube is the perfect online media partner to promote NBC’s marquee entertainment to their audience and explore new and creative ways to harness the power of viral video in a manner that respects copyrights. We applaud YouTube for their continued willingness to work with us to remove any unauthorized NBC content and protect our copyrighted material. We are thrilled to be partnering with this forward-thinking company.”

The YouTube NBC deal will not only promote NBC within YouTube, the reciprocal cross promotion will also include a YouTube hosted contest which started this week and will be highly promoted on NBC’s television affiliates. The contest is centered around the NBC comedy The Office where people can submit their own creative 20-second promotional videos to NBC’s YouTube Group (www.youtube.com/theoffice);

NBC will publicize the campaign on air regularly during the first three weeks of the contest, encouraging YouTube users to enter. User-generated videos must be compelling and entertaining and create interest for potential viewers to watch “The Office.” Examples can be seen in the NBC YouTube Group.

The contest runs June 26 through July 21. The winning video will air within the network broadcast of “The Office” during the month of August. NBC will also offer a “how-to” video featuring writer-producer Bill Lowery, who normally writes and produces all the network’s promos for “The Office.”

“We are delighted to work with NBC on an official basis. Bringing more entertaining and exclusive content to YouTube helps further our goal of providing the best video entertainment experience on the Internet,” said Chad Hurley, co-founder and CEO of YouTube. “This partnership provides greater visibility and access to both NBC and YouTube’s audiences, providing both companies with new outlets for growth and opportunity.”